In the sport of hunting, responsible hunters go to great lengths to ensure a quick, clean and humane kill. Hunters seek to select the best rifle, cartridge, bullet and optics for the particular species being hunted and the specific conditions likely to be encountered (e.g., rough terrain and thick underbrush). Hunters also practice marksmanship so that a shot can be carefully placed even under challenging circumstances. If a bullet is poorly placed, the game animal may travel a long distance through rough terrain after having been shot. In these situations, there is a risk that the wounded game animal will not be recovered.
In recent years, the modern sporting rifle (MSR) has become a popular firearm for use in hunting. The MSR is based on the AR-15 platform designed by Eugene Stoner while working as an engineer at the Armalite Company. The MSR may sometimes appear cosmetically similar to military rifles, such as the M-16. However, the MSR functions like other semi-automatic civilian sporting rifles, firing only one round with each pull of the trigger. The MSR is commercially available from several manufacturers. Each manufacturer may offer several MSR models in popular configurations.
Due environmental concerns, there have been efforts to replace lead in bullets with other materials. The relatively high deformability of lead allows lead bullets to expand on impact. Any improvements in the performance of non-lead bullets would be welcome.